Heh, fair enough. Where exactly does it happen? I have a hole around mine kinda and every thing in there that I can around the part that extends down is crack free where it connects up in there at the level where the frame goes back. Can't see much past there. Maybe I'll take mine off just to check it out better if you can tell me the problem spot and how far away from that I need to be looking, thanks

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Heh, fair enough. Where exactly does it happen? I have a hole around mine kinda and every thing in there that I can around the part that extends down is crack free where it connects up in there at the level where the frame goes back. Can't see much past there. Maybe I'll take mine off just to check it out better if you can tell me the problem spot and how far away from that I need to be looking, thanks

Use a good flashlight to check out the welds above the pin box mounting brackets. Then measure how much the frame flexes between hooked and unhooked, there are a number of ways to do this, and none are perfect. When dealers do this, they generally use a fork-lift under the king pin. I've used a laser level strapped to the side of the trailer behind the front legs with some sort of target forward near the king pin. If the difference is more than about 1/2 inch, then time to get it checked out.

The most common point of failure is where the pin box mount is attached to the front crossmember. Another point is actual failure of the front crossmember, either cracking beside the pin box mount or at the ends where it is welded to the main frame rails. Similar failures occur at the second crossmember. Excessive flexing will show up as interior issues, bedroom trim pulling loose, interior paneling buckling, floor buckling. Generally, the bedroom floor is directly attached to the steel frame and if the frame is flexing, the floor is pulled loose.

Yesterday I saw an older Dutchmen fiver, the owner had added a suspension lift to match his tall truck and added a huge storage box under the frame just behind the landing legs. Anyway I could sight along the roof line and clearly see the bend in fiver body right at the legs, definitely some frame failure happening.

Ok thanks. Yea mines only 30ft , keystone cougar. I wouldn't be using a gooseneck adapter on any bigger heavier trailers personally but everyone around here does cause everyone farms. Most of them don't tow often or far though. I kept a close eye on mine as I went about 5000 miles or so round trip last winter and everything straight up is looking good. I have my brakes set right and I don't mash the accelerator or the brake to the floor, I drive easy to lessen stress as well as save wear on my brakes. Ii definitely wouldn't want to hit anything solid going very fast or I could see the front of the trailer ending up in my back seat, lol

Most farm people I know (including myself) use the B&W gooseneck hitches for their farm trailers. It's simple enough to use a companion 5th wheel hitch instead of the ball (again like I do) with the B&W. The fact that most 5th wheel manufacturers recommend against and will void your warranty if you convert to a gooseneck hitch made it a no-brainer for me.

A B&W leaves a clean bed also, which makes it far superior to the Reese rail system IMHO.

Most farm people I know (including myself) use the B&W gooseneck hitches for their farm trailers. It's simple enough to use a companion 5th wheel hitch instead of the ball (again like I do) with the B&W. The fact that most 5th wheel manufacturers recommend against and will void your warranty if you convert to a gooseneck hitch made it a no-brainer for me.

A B&W leaves a clean bed also, which makes it far superior to the Reese rail system IMHO.

Yea the only reason I didn't was cause they are ten times heavier, cost twice as much, but mostly I wanted one right now and they didn't have one, lol! Think I'm gonna get one this month or next cause I plan to get a larger trailer eventually and will need one for sure then.

Along these lines I have a Dodge 3/4 ton that I bought used and wanted to put my fifth wheel hitch in it for my Alpinlte 33. When I went to the hitch place we found that the truck already had a Gooseneck hitch installed and the guy told me that the GN had to come out before the 5er could be installed. That required the complete removal of the truck bed and would cost about $1000. I said forget it and so can't pull my trailer. So the question is why can't a truck have both types of hitches at the same time? Pete

Simple answer, take a look at the Andersen Ultimate Fifth Wheel hitch for Goose neck hitches. Best review sourc
es are YouTube and etrailer. $450, less than 100 pounds to lift, easy to remove, and they have a great tow rep.

Thanks Bill. I'll check it out.
Man am I glad I asked that question on this forum. I have never heard of the Anderson Hitch and it is certainly the answer to my problem. Thanks very much Bill for sharing your knowledge. Maybe I will be able to go camping in the near future. Pete

Along these lines I have a Dodge 3/4 ton that I bought used and wanted to put my fifth wheel hitch in it for my Alpinlte 33. When I went to the hitch place we found that the truck already had a Gooseneck hitch installed and the guy told me that the GN had to come out before the 5er could be installed. That required the complete removal of the truck bed and would cost about $1000. I said forget it and so can't pull my trailer. So the question is why can't a truck have both types of hitches at the same time? Pete

Wrong type of gooseneck most likely. B&W turnover is the best, then companion 5th is possible, other goosenecks don't have the removable ball and limit your options. 5th wheel rails and hitch occupy same space as the ball, that's why not possible for both at same time.

They go away with a b&w 5th wheel companion as well, lol! I thought you maybe had a different fixed one with non removable ball perhaps. And dealer should've known about the companion for b&w, maybe he was new.

The salesman at the hitch dealer gave my truck a quick look and made his statement. Either he was very experienced and really knew what he was doing or he was very new and really didn't know what he was doing. I felt like there had to be a better answer than the one I got. I think he was more interested in the money then trying to solve the problem.

I was in a trailer sales dealership yesterday and thy tried to sell me a goose neck conversion claiming that the freedom of a ball gooseneck system allows for more twisting between the hitch point and the towed vehicle. They said a fifth wheel attachment does not allow as much freedom of twisting between the pulling vehicle and the trailer. So he recommended a goose neck attachment. He claimed several trailers had been in with frame issues due to the force placed on the pin box from the tow vehicle side angle ???

I was in a trailer sales dealership yesterday and thy tried to sell me a goose neck conversion claiming that the freedom of a ball gooseneck system allows for more twisting between the hitch point and the towed vehicle. They said a fifth wheel attachment does not allow as much freedom of twisting between the pulling vehicle and the trailer. So he recommended a goose neck attachment. He claimed several trailers had been in with frame issues due to the force placed on the pin box from the tow vehicle side angle ???

The facts are right,but the reasons are wrong. A GN ball mount does allow more movement between truck and trailer and it works great with most GN trailers because they have more clearance between the two. But since most fifth wheel trailer setups only have between 5 and 7 inches of clearance between the sides of the truck bed and the upper trailer frame, greater movement will only serve to cause contact between truck and trailer. That is why fifth wheel hitches only pivot about 5 degrees sideways, anything more is just a waste.

I doubt his claim about frame damage, I have never seen an owner's post regarding that type of frame issue. The vast majority of fifth wheel hitches sold today have side pivot (4 way pivot). Yet I am behind the times, I am still using a hitch that lacks side pivot, so if anyone was going to have problems, it would be me. But after 26 yrs, 5 different fifth wheels, 4 different trucks and 2 different hitches without side pivot capability and no failure.